A Royal Photographer Says Grace Kelly Was "The Most Difficult" to Work With

Princess Grace of Monaco captivated the world by going from a movie star to royalty. But perhaps behind the scenes, she may not have been as pleasant as she looked. Reginald Davis photographed stars and royals, and opens up about his experiences with celebrities in a new book, My Life Photographing Royalty and the Famous. He spoke to the U.K's Daily Express about some of his most famous photos, and his least favorite subject was a surprising one.

"Without doubt, the most difficult royal I ever photographed was Princess Grace of Monaco," he said. "She only agreed to a private audience because I had previously had a private audience with the Queen, and then when I asked her to play the piano she claimed she couldn't play a note. And then, of course, she lifts the lid and plays like a concert pianist. I mean, really."

IMAGE REGINALD DAVIS

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Davis notes that Princess Grace often didn't seem as pleasant and happy as she did in public. "Everyone wanted to shoot Grace—she was such an attractive woman, why be so haughty, arrogant and awkward?" he said. "Of course, you'd never know that from looking at her face here—she seems every inch the relaxed, happy mother."

IMAGE REGINALD DAVIS

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But his favorite royal might not be who you think. "Definitely Princess Margaret," he said of the Queen's sister, who died in 2002. "She was just so vibrant—and had these beautiful azure eyes. She really was the Diana of her day—everything I took of her was in demand."